Rats Seek Out Cannabis, Get Munchies Just Like Humans

A study conducted by Washington State University (WSU), which gave rats the ability to self-dose cannabis vapor, found that the animals acted very much like humans in many ways. As reported on Medical News Today, scientists in WSU’s Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience unit were able to construct an animal study that produced behavior data that is applicable to humans.

The WSU study showed that rats, which were able to self-dose whole-plant cannabis vapor on demand, responded much like human cannabis consumers in many respects. The rats were seen to seek out cannabis after experiencing the marijuana vapor. They also consumed more food while under the influence of cannabis and showed a lower activity levels than normal.

At the same time, the rats burned more calories than rats in a control group. The significance of the study lies in the ability to perform research on rats that can illuminate data related to human cannabis consumption.